Abuja—A youth group in the Niger Delta region, Niger Delta Youths for National Change, NDYNC, has commended the management of Pipeline and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, for rehabilitating oil depots, including the Benin Depot in Edo State.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, President of NDYNC, Mr. Sufuyanu Ikharo, said that the Managing Director of PPMC, Prince Haruna Momoh, had demonstrated commendable leadership by ensuring that oil depots in the country were repaired.

He said that some of the depots had been moribund in the last seven years, a situation that had threatened the economy and made life difficult for the populace, “especially residents of Benin and its neighbouring communities”.

Achievements
He said: “We take special notice that under the leadership of Prince Momoh, the Port Harcourt- Aba, Warri-Benin and Jos-Gombe pipeline networks had been repaired to perform the functions for which they were built.

“He has also seen to the rehabilitation of the moribund depots in Gombe, Makurdi, Enugu, Minna and the one in Aba, which had been out of service for over 10 years.

“The Warri, Aba and Calabar Depots have all been upgraded from analogue to digital loading meters, while the Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, butanisation plants in Ibadan, Kano, Gusau, Enugu and Gombe have all been commissioned under Momoh’s watch.”

Ikharo said that there was need for Nigerians to recognise excellence and performance, noting that it was vital to criticise and condemn when people in privileged positions failed to live up to expectation in their exalted positions.

Presidential commendation
He said: “Prince Momoh has made us proud as citizens of the Niger Delta. We thank President Goodluck Jonathan for recognising competence when he singled out the management of PPMC for commendation during his progress report at the just-concluded special Peoples Democratic Party, PDP convention in Abuja.

“We also understand that Momoh has tackled the notorious System 2b Pipeline, stretching from Atlas Cove in Lagos to Ilorin in Kwara State.

“It is only a focused leadership that can achieve these feats in so short a time.”

On criticisms
He dismissed recent attacks, made by one General Okunbiri, also known as “Forest Dog,” a self-confessed militant, who had been firing tirades of verbal attacks on the leadership of PPMC.

Ikharo told the government not to allow misguided elements to divert its attention from achieving the set goals of the transformation agenda, especially in the downstream sector.

Ikharo said: “President Jonathan recently cited PPMC for outstanding performance, saying that his administration had ensured that the downstream sub-sector witnessed stable supply of petroleum products as well as efficient administration of the subsidy programme at reduced costs.

“There are no longer unending queues and jerry-cans at the petrol stations.
“The irony of life is that Prince Momoh, the man being praised by Mr. President is also being accused by the militant ‘general’ of working contrary to Mr. President’s transparency agenda in the oil sector.”